From a freakishly athletic 19-year-old rookie with no jump shot to an all-around monster in Miami to a passing savant with 3-point range during his second stint in Cleveland, LeBron James' game has changed dramatically throughout his career. And while it has been fascinating to watch the stages of James' development as a basketball player, it has been equally fascinating to watch how he has taken full control of his destiny in free agency.

James quickly figured out how to use his status as the best player on the planet to shape the narrative around him and find exactly what he wanted personally and professionally. So how does Los Angeles make sense as his latest landing spot?

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Let's go back and take a look at how James arrived at his previous decisions before covering his latest move. We start in South Beach...

Heat: Ready to win a title

James' jump to Miami in 2010 was the most jarring. The debacle that was "The Decision" instantly made James the most hated player in the league. (Dan Gilbert certainly didn't help.)

Cleveland fans despised him for leaving Northeast Ohio and making them endure the excruciating two-hour spectacle on national TV. Fans throughout the league hated him for choosing to team up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh instead of dragging the Cavs to the NBA Finals.

But this was purely a basketball decision, and it was a move that had to be made in order for James to win titles and boost his overall legacy.

After being bounced in the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2009, James knew that Cleveland simply didn't have the pieces to dethrone the Celtics and their veteran "Big Three." A Cavs roster consisting of a past-his-prime Shaquille O'Neal, Delonte West and Mo Williams? Not nearly good enough.

James' years with the Heat gave him the opportunity to be in the same breath as Michael Jordan. Despite all of the criticism, he undoubtedly made the right choice.

Cavs: Ready to come home

James' heartfelt letter signaled that his return to Cleveland was an emotional decision, one that went far beyond basketball.

"My presence can make a difference in Miami, but I think it can mean more where I'm from," James said. "I want kids in Northeast Ohio, like the hundreds of Akron third-graders I sponsor through my foundation, to realize that there's no better place to grow up. Maybe some of them will come home after college and start a family or open a business. That would make me smile.

"Our community, which has struggled so much, needs all the talent it can get."

It was obvious that when James chose to leave the first time, the scar that was left never truly healed. He admitted Gilbert's harsh words and the reaction of Cavs fans. How can anyone forget those burning jerseys in the streets?

The Heat would have been the favorites to return to the Finals for as long as James stayed in Miami, and it's possible he would have come away with another ring. But his emotions won out. He needed to return to Cleveland.

He knew that the Cavs were not in a position to win a title immediately. ("We're not ready right now. No way.") At the time, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters weren't scaring any other contenders.

But James had to commit to Cleveland because his heart was calling him home. He delivered on his promise, and that 2016 championship banner will hang forever.

Lakers: Ready to handle business

Fast forward four years later, and James' thought process has changed once again.

Cleveland still holds a place in James' heart - he did say that he always envisioned himself finishing his career in Cleveland - but he was stuck with a mediocre roster crippled by bad contracts. He barely pushed the Cavs through the East before getting swept away by the Warriors in the Finals. All the signs pointed toward the exit.

If his decision was made purely based on basketball and catching the ghost of Jordan, he would have figured out a way to join the Celtics, 76ers or Rockets. But this wasn't a case of rings-or-bust. It was about life after basketball. It was about business.

While it feels like James will be an MVP candidate forever, he will eventually stare Father Time in the face. The move to the Lakers signals that he understands that the end of his career is near.

What better place than Los Angeles for the next (and possibly final) chapter? It's the ideal spot to start a media empire and a potential Hollywood career. No one understands that better than James, who has always been a step ahead as a player when it comes to putting himself in a position to succeed. LeBron the businessman will be no different.